Restaurant notable for its authentic Asian dishes

Emigrating from Taiwan in 2000, Lynn Lin and her husband Willy Yang made their way to the U.S. in hopes of pursuing new opportunities. Within three years, the couple found their niche in the food industry and opened their first restaurant in Sierra Vista.

“My dad was a chef so before moving to Sierra Vista my husband and I learned how to cook,” said Lin. “We had friends in Sierra Vista so we decided to move.”

Their restaurant was filled with dishes of Asian cuisine – a food that the couple specialized in. Coming from a country where authentic Asian cuisine is served, Lin and Yang’s affinity for the taste served them well as their business grew. By 2007, they had to adjust to having children and by 2011 chose to sell their Sierra Vista business and move to Tucson where they opened Grain River Asian Bistro.

The restaurant is diverse in the food that it serves. Lin calls her food Asian fusion – a word that refers to the combination of sauces used and differing types of food. Grain River Asian Bistro serves Thai, Korean, Chinese and Japanese dishes. They pride themselves in serving authentic Asian cuisine with fresh vegetables, healthy food and a vegetarian menu.

“We have all kinds of food. It’s kind of multicultural and we give the customers more choices,” said Lin. “Here they can be satisfied with the different choices.”

Lin may emphasize the quality of the food at Grain River Asian Bistro, but she also emphasized their promptness and friendly customer service. Lin herself goes around to every table in order to engage people in conversation and make sure the food is to their satisfaction.

“Our reviews of our service have always been good because we talk to our customers,” said Lin. “We like to get to know them.”

As a part of their customer service, Grain River Asian Bistro also offers an entrée of either a soup or salad on the house. They have a steady flow of business but are usually not overly crowded which allows for a peaceful and relaxed atmosphere.

The Great American Playhouse, which recently opened, is within the same plaza as the Grain River Asian Bistro. Lin is looking forward to seeing business increase as the theatre continues to attract people over to the area.